It’s become painfully obvious that we’re running FAR too many In Memoriam columns on Pencil Storm, and even more painfully obvious that the Universe of Rock & Roll has reached a point where that trend is not about to slow down anytime soon. So, my In Memoriam approach from here on out is gonna be personalized stories. You can read all about the obituary info facts & figures ANYWHERE on this InterWideWeb; this is my Mick Ralphs tribute.
First off, we’ve gotta start with a Big Disclaimer. I loved Mick Ralphs’ guitar playing and songwriting prowess in his first band - Mott The Hoople - FAR MORE than with his second - Bad Company - the band that made him a household name to American rock fans of the 1970’s onward. As such, this blog will concentrate on the Mott years - 1969-1973 - and the 21st century reunion shows Mr. Ralphs participated in with Mott.
Right off, let’s hear a tune - “Rock & Roll Queen,” written by Mick Ralphs, sung by Ian Hunter, from Mott the Hoople’s first album in 1969.
I got to see that original version of Mott The Hoople once, a week after I graduated high school in 1970, at The Cincinnati Pop Festival and it was rock & roll love at first sight. Read about that here, on my former blog - Growing Old With Rock & Roll - if you like.
A coupla years - and three albums - later Mott hit it big with David Bowie’s “All The Young Dudes.” It was in that 1972 period when nascent superstar Bowie gathered up all his favorite 1960’s rock & roll acts - Mott, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop’s Raw Power-era The Stooges - and tried his level best to make them huge. In Mott’s case, all a hit single did was drive Mick Ralphs out of the Mott ranks into the arms of Paul Rodgers and the stodgy corporate-rock of Bad Company.
Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words. The following video pictures the cover of Mott, the band’s high point 1973 release that saw Mick (extreme left) leaving before touring commenced. Some rockers just never want to get out of blue-jeans. (I bet they had to pay Mick extra - or threaten him - to wear that necklace.) Nonetheless, Mott is a rock masterpiece you should all punch up on whatever darling little streaming service you subscribe to. This sublime Ian Hunter tune features Mick on mandolin.
My own particular high point of Mick Ralph’s tenure with Bad Company, written by Ralphs with lead singer Paul Rodgers.
I fully admit, Ian Hunter (one of my three favorite rock stars ever) has always been at his best when working with a like-minded, sympathetic lead guitarist. Mick Ralphs was certainly the first of those. Mick Ronson - Bowie’s lead player in The Spiders From Mars-era - was the second, and powered Hunter’s solo career from “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” to the stellar live double-live album Welcome To The Club, straight through to “Cleveland Rocks.” (BTW, Mott The Hoople and/or Ian Hunter never being inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is what keeps me from ever visiting that glorified Hard Rock Cafe.)
In 2009 the five original members of Mott - Hunter, Ralphs, Overend Watts on bass, Verden Allen on organ and Dale “Buffin” Griffin on drums - reunited for a tour of England. They repeated that reunion in 2013 with Martin Chambers of The Pretenders subbing for Griffin, who was then descending into the fog of Alzheimer’s. (Buffin passed away in 2016, exactly one week after David Bowie.)
So let’s finish where we started, “Rock & Roll Queen” in 2013, 44 years after the original track.
R.I.P. Mick Ralphs.
self-explanatory…..
Ricki C. will turn 73 next week, and remembers that first Mott The Hoople show in Cincinnati (and a couple subsequent shows he saw with Ariel Bender playing lead guitar), as well as countless Ian Hunter solo shows like they were yesterday. Oh, and by the way, Bobby Sherman also passed away this week, and my lovely wife Debbie (many years my junior and a big Bobby fan in her pre-teens) asked me if Pencil Storm would be acknowledging him. Yes, we will, because a rocker is a rocker is a rocker. R.I.P. Bobby Sherman; I have to say I liked you a lot better in your heyday than I liked Bad Company in theirs.